Hubert van Eyck

Hubert van Eyck (around 1385/90 – 18 September 1426) was an Early Netherlandish painter. He was the older brother of the famous painter Jan van Eyck. He was also related to Lambert and Margareta, who were painters too.

Though many people thought he was a very important artist in the early days of Early Netherlandish painting, it is hard to know exactly how good he was. This is because no single painting can be proven to be completely his work.

Today, people believe he at least started two big and famous paintings: the Ghent Altarpiece and The Three Marys at the Tomb. However, it is likely that his brother Jan finished these artworks. Because of this mystery, learning about Hubert van Eyck remains an interesting challenge for art historians.

Life and career

Hubert van Eyck was likely born in Maaseik, in what is now the Belgian province of Limburg, into a family of artists. He was probably the "Magister Hubertus, Pictor" who was paid in 1409 for work on panels in the church of Onze Lieve Vrouwe in Tongeren. He may have been the Master Hubert who painted a panel given in 1413 to a nun near Grevelingen. Though he isn’t listed in guild records, some think he might have been connected to the abbey, now the cathedral, of St Bavo at Ghent.

Hubert is best known for starting the Ghent Altarpiece in St Bavo’s Cathedral. However, the painting wasn’t finished until six years after his death in 1432. The town leaders of Ghent visited his workshop in 1425. Hubert died on or before September 18, 1426, and was buried next to his sister Margareta in Saint Bavo’s Cathedral.

Legacy

Art historians discuss which paintings were made by Hubert van Eyck, his brother Jan, and other artists. This includes famous works like the Ghent Altarpiece and pages from the Turin-Milan Hours.

In the past, many paintings without signatures were thought to be Hubert’s work, but ideas about this have changed. Recently, people have become more interested in Hubert again. He probably began painting The Three Marys at the Tomb, which is now in the Museum Boijmans Van Beuningen in Rotterdam. Another artist finished it later. Some drawings in the Albertina, Vienna and the British Museum are also thought to be his.